MS Tech support

[Frank Carey]

I contacted MS tech support recently concerning a Vista problem. After attempting to describe the problem to the tech for almost 30 minutes, I had to give up in disgust because of the tech's inability to understand what I was telling him, apparently due to a language barrier. I subsequently found a workaround on my own, but my troubles were just beginning. Within an hour of hanging up. I got a phone call from an MS support supervisor seeking to "help me". Although the supervisor spoke better English than the tech, he was still unable to fully understand what I was telling him, and I terminated the call.

Later that day I got a call from yet another supervisor who wanted me to evaluate the "support" I received. So I described exactly what had taken place. Instead of listening, this person kept "apologizing", especially when he asked me to rate the support on a scale of 10, and I said "four". He seemed to find this rating unacceptable and continually tried to get me to "upgrade" my rating. He wouldn't accept anything I said and I eventually had to just hang up on him to terminate the call. By now I'm a bit angry.

The next day, I get a call out of the blue from yet another "supervisor". Same scenario.

The following day I get an e-mail from yet another supervisor saying he would call me, and gave a date and time he would call. By now I'm fit to be tied, and I replied to him to NOT call. So far, he has not called.

What gets me is that MS seemed more interested in me being unhappy with their service, than in WHY I was unhappy, and seemed willing to continually bug me with contacts rather than provide any real assistance with the problem (which still remains despite the workaround). Right now, so far as I'm concerned, there is NO real support for Vista and there won't be until I can speak with a tech that speaks and understands North American English (as opposed to British English, which is a different language).

[Platypus]

So, what can we do to help you out Frank? Most of the British English speakers here seem to be able to understand North American English OK.

[Frank Carey]

So, what can we do to help you out Frank? Most of the British English speakers here seem to be able to understand North American English OK.

The two are fairly easy to understand in regular conversation, but become more difficult when dealing with technical matters. Still, a Brit & an American understand each other somewhat even in that context. The MS Support people however learned it as a second language, and don't realize that NA English is the most difficult & complex language in the world, otherwise how would one explain telling them something in clear, simple words, and having them understand it as something completely different.

[Niclo Iste]

I agree that dreadful Englandese is a true bother to decipher. (Inside joke with me and a few of my friends over in England). I figure when you say you can't understand them you're talking of the call center techs that read scripts in India, and South East Asia and they only know enough english to read it VERY well but understanding it in a dialect from the US or UK is impossible for them. OK back to the real matter. So what exactly is wrong? Though we all have our own accents and forms of english a majority of us can convey our thoughts a bit more clearly via text on here. (Minus me when I go on my rants or free form my comments while thinking in a run on sentence.)

P.S.
A little tip for tech support with a person who doesn't natively speak english: If you say the words a little more slowly (not condescendingly) and put a little extra in the pronunciation of the words they seem to pick up what you are trying to say better. Unless they just really don't want to try hearing your situation.

[Frank Carey]

I DO choose my words carefully and speak clearly. In my rather full life (I'm 66), I've traveled overseas quite a bit from Europe, to Asia, to the middle East, and am used to speaking with other people to whom English is not native. That problem though was only secondary to this post. What bothered me this time wasn't so much the tech, as it was with the parade of supervisors who insisted on insinuating themselves into my life unbidden, even after being asked not to do so. What part of "don't call me" was unclear to them???

[Niclo Iste]

Totally understandable. There are good call centers from those areas but there are some that are totally not qualified for their scope of support. The barrage of supervisors would be annoying. Though I do suppose it has something to do with they get in a lot of trouble at their call centers if they get a bad review. I've noticed in many cases if I ask for a supervisor they will hang up on me rather than get a bad review. Sadly it appears they don't get listened in on enough to catch that this is their practice to keep their reviews in the "high approval" level.

[Ferrit]

I dread to ask what about Canadian english?
Heh!!

[constructor]

Totally understandable. There are good call centers from those areas but there are some that are totally not qualified for their scope of support. The barrage of supervisors would be annoying. Though I do suppose it has something to do with they get in a lot of trouble at their call centers if they get a bad review. I've noticed in many cases if I ask for a supervisor they will hang up on me rather than get a bad review. Sadly it appears they don't get listened in on enough to catch that this is their practice to keep their reviews in the "high approval" level.

In the UK a lot of call centres have been outsourced to India so for instance if you want to call your bank you are attempting to communicate with a barely intelligible person who does not understand you and you do not understand them. Solution terminate call and change Banks. It seems that bad service is becoming the norm.

Another thing that infuriates me is the "please choose from the following 56 options, then "your business is important to us please hold" for the next 20 mins. There is no "face to face" commication any more. It is a shame because I used to enjoy raising hell at a branch,shop etc.

[Frank Carey]

No problem - please note I specified NORTH American English. That includes Canada. The version of English spoken there is indistinguishable from that used in the USA. I'm not referring to a British accent when I speak of British English, just the different vocabulary, where the same word can mean two different things in each language. One bookshop in Heathrow airport even sold a dictionary titled " English to American and American to English". As one Brit once said "America and England are two countries divided by a common language." (BTW: the dictionary was real, not a joke.)

[CeeBee]

Weird how I have no issue whatsoever understanding both American and British English.. and I am definitely NOT a native English speaker. The only English I've ever had issues with was the Indian ("dot", not "feather") version which sounds more like mumbling something while trying to chew on 2 whole plums.

[constructor]

All very interesting
Let me say that I just consider myself to be English. The welsh are well welsh, and the scots scottish. I am a bit confused by the British bit.
My personal experience, and I have a lot of relatives in Canada and visit, is that I have no problem with comms. The fact that words have different meanings as with dialects should and does make little difference.

However the younger people are, the harder I find to understand them, some speak pigeon english. The problem may be more lack of education and ability to spel wurds. The language is being diluted.

[Frank Carey]

All you say is true, however both you and I grew up speaking English (BTW: American & British English are not just dialects - they are different languages). So our references are fundamentally the same, which allows us to rapidly and automatically adapt to each others version. People in India, for example despite being taught predominantly British English, lack the common everyday references that you and I take for granted, and will interpret what they hear differently than would you and I. One fact that illustrates the differences between the versions is found in aviation, where exact meanings are critical to safety. The official international aviation language all pilots, navigators, and controllers MUST learn is American English. This way it reduces misunderstandings in communications.

[Gabriel]

English is my second language. Most of my english studies were by myself and not in school (The good old "read lots of books/hear planty of music" method). Still, I consider my english to be quite fluent and in most of cases I can handle a conversation without any "glitchs".
I do agree that "outsourcing" call centers to thirs world countries might irritate on contact - but companies are always trying to max out their profit.
Plain and simple profit.

One other thing - I give support on many techinical fields (especially computers but not necceserily) - whenever I have the chance to write in english I do so. it is much more complicated to explain technical stuff in my native language.

About the ongoing "supervior" charade - welll, you have to understand them they want the customer to feel well so they can mark a "V" sign in their log.

BTW - if you want to laugh a bit - take a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBYOpiMdEy8

Cheers,
Gabriel